More Than Meets The Eye
by jadedragon500
Summary: Dean and Sam run into some trouble in a small town while researching a new hunt.
1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note: My first 'Supernatural' fan-fic. I obviously do not own the show or any aspect thereof because if I did, this would be an episode, not a fan-fic. Thanks for reading, I hope you enjoy!!!**

**More Than Meets the Eye**

**Chapter 1**

Dean was once again staring at the pretty waitress' rear-end. He hadn't stopped staring at it since they walked into the relatively quiet diner.

The waitress had bright strawberry-blonde hair and long legs that right now were wrapped in a pair of faded denim flared jeans. Her apron was dingy with time and numerous washings of dirt, grease, and other random spills. She had a tight hunter green low cut v-neck t-shirt on that reminded him slightly of Daisy Duke. Her hair was swept up into a messy bun and Dean got a look at her long, pale neck. She had light colored freckles on her high cheek bones and bridge of her nose and she wore sneakers.

She walked up to Dean and Sam's table and Dean plastered a charming smile on his face.

"Hello, what can I get for you guys?"

Dean was about ready to lay down one of his lines when he was rudely interrupted by his knowing brother.

"Just some coffee, please." He was glaring at Dean.

Dean ignored his brother's glare and smiled at her. "Coffee, black."

She raised one of her sculpted eyebrows. "I bring you the coffee. What you do with it from there is up to you." She smiled mischievously at him. "But I can have them cook it up real strong for you, tough guy."

He winked at her. "Nah, just have them spit in his."

She turned to walk away and he could hear her laugh.

"Sam, what is your problem? She's freakin' hot! Live a little, little brother."

"Dean, can we PLEASE concentrate on the case at hand?"

Dean sighed loudly. "Since when do we check out haunted houses, Sammy? That sounds like something for our little Hellhounds friends."

"We don't have anything else, Dean. Besides, we could stand to check out some random things once in a while. There are a lot of reports on this house. Even Dad had this town marked in his journal."

Dean spotted his attractive new friend heading their way with two mugs in one hand and a steaming full coffee pot in the other.

"Hey Sam. I was just thinking, maybe this fun chick could help us out. You know, give us some information."

"Dean, you're just looking for me to endorse you flirting with her. And I won't. No."

The waitress reached their table and set down the two mugs in front of each of the men and started to pour coffee in them.

"Did you guys want something to eat? The cook makes a mean Spanish omelette."

Dean put a huge smile on his face and Sam glared at him and kicked him under the table.

"Hmm…you've talked me into it." Then he turned to Sam. "What'd you want for breakfast, Sammy?"

Sam gave Dean a look to kill. "I'll just get some scrambled eggs."

"Aw, Sam, she endorsed the omelette. Besides, you always get scrambled eggs."

"Fine, I'll take pancakes. By the way, ma'am, where are your restrooms?"

"The other end of the diner, down that counter end. You'll see it."

He gave Dean another parting 'don't-you-dare' look.

"Thank you." He stood up from the bench and walked away towards the bathroom.

"So, you're going with the Spanish omelette and your friend was going with the pancakes?"

"My brother, yeah."

"How many eggs did you want in that omelette and how many pancakes did you think your brother would want? Or should I wait?"

He smiled at her once again. "Nah, I'll take three eggs and we'll give him three pancakes. Make it easy for you."

She laughed lightly at him. "I do like easy."

He smiled ear-to-ear. "So do I."

She looked at him and tried to hold back a smile. "I'm sure you do."

She turned to walk away and Dean seized his moment. "Wait. My brother and I are on a road trip and we're looking for interesting things in every town we go to. We heard about some type of supposedly haunted house here in Upton. Do you know anything about it?"

"You guys aren't really going to try and go there, are you?"

"Well, we just wanted to know if the rumors were true."

All of the sudden a mischievous look came over her face.

"Sing this song."

He was floored. "What?"

"Just the chorus is fine. Sing it."

"Trust me, you don't want me to sing. I'd drive your customers away."

She feigned distress and put the back of her hand to her forehead. "Then whomever shall I wait on?"

"Exactly. You don't want your customers to run screaming from the diner without paying their bills. That would be downright awful."

"'Tis true, but I don't think your voice is that awful. Besides, they'd find it fun to hear karaoke morning in the diner."

He was becoming more disturbed. "They're all regulars, aren't they?"

She smiled at him. "Indeed."

"Aw, hell no. There is no way I'm singing in front of a bunch strangers for your amusement so that you can talk about it for years. I can see it now, 'Yeah, that strange guy just busted out in song in the middle of breakfast like he had some thing for the waitress.' You would gloat to these guys and laugh about me long after I was out of town."

"Aw, but sweetie, who wouldn't? Besides, what would you care? You just said you weren't planning on staying very long."

"No way you're getting that power over me."

She shrugged. "Fine. I guess you don't really want to know about the Midas Mansion."

He resigned to the fact that to get any information, he would need to sing.

"And why on earth would I sing for you?"

"Because you want to know about Upton's secrets. Sing it, baby. Loud and proud."

Beck's 'I'm a Loser, Baby' was playing softly through the speakers.

Dean was clearly not impressed with her choice and planned a last-ditch effort. "I have to sing? Can't I just take you out somewhere?"

"No. I don't want a date, I want you to sing. This song. Right now. Hurry, it'll go off soon and then I'll just have to replay it. I'll even be nice and let you sing it nice and low so only I can hear it."

He was clearly agitated that this had not gone as he had planned. He looked around embarrassingly and then looked at her.

"I'm a loser, baby, so why don't you kill me." His voice was soft and low and she watched him with a smile growing on her face. She was clearly teasing him and enjoying doing it.

Once he finished singing the chorus several times and the song was over she laughed at him heartily. "Oh, honey, I was right. You aren't that bad a singer. You have a nice voice. Okay, I guess you've earned it, tough guy."

"Great! Then have a seat and start talking."

"I would, but wherever shall I sit? Here comes your brother and I'm sure he wants his seat."

Dean looked over, and sure enough, Sam was almost to the table. "Well, you can sit here, next to me." He motioned to the space next to him on the bench with a charming smile on his face.

"Actually, I think I'll go bring the order back to the cook." Sam gave her a puzzled look and squeezed onto the bench. Then he turned the puzzled look onto his brother. "That, and I'll give you time to tell your brother here how you serenaded me just moments ago."

She smiled at him triumphantly and turned and walked back to the kitchen.

**Author's Note: Please read and review as I like new perspectives and enjoy knowing what people think. Thanks!**


	2. Chapter 2

**Author's Note: I need to say a special thanks to all my friends at the FaNily- most especially Kat and Loopy- thank you for your encouragement and help. Beist, I can always count on you to be right there behind me! I do not own any portion of 'Supernatural' and if I did, I would not still live with my parents. Please enjoy!**

**Chapter 2**

"You what?! Dean! What did I tell you? I clearly recall telling you to NOT flirt with the waitress. And what do you do as soon as I leave? You SING to her?! What is wrong with you? Have you no shame?"

"Whoa, calm down there, Sammy."

"For the last time, Dean, it's Sam, NOT Sammy!"

Dean sighed loudly. "Whatever, tiger. I was getting information."

Sam was clearly unconvinced. "By singing to her?"

"Okay, that was not in the plan. I asked her for info and she told me that she would tell me if I sang the chorus of the song to her." He looked down and cleared his throat. "Several times."

Sam raised his eyebrows. "What song was it?"

Dean waved his hand. "That doesn't matter, Sammy. She was supposed to give me the information when YOU had to come back to the table. You ruined it, Sam. That was embarrassing enough, but now she owes me info! And she better deliver for that little performance!"

Sam clearly did not share his brother's pain. "I'm sure you got her number, or a date, or SOMETHING. I have faith that you can get her to tell you."

All of a sudden there was a scraping noise several feet away. Both men turned and there was the pretty waitress, moving a chair from the other table over to the head of theirs.

"I know I owe you. I always keep my word. I just wanted to make sure your order went to the back so your breakfast would get to you." She looked at Sam. "And the faith you have in him clearly does not reflect the faith he has in others."

_What? Oh, crap. She heard everything. I'll never get her number or a date. And faith? Dude, I barely even met her and she thinks I should have FAITH in her? Yeah, right. Keep dreaming sweetheart. Sigh. I will, too._

"So? Are you going to tell us, or do I have to charm it out of you?"

She laughed. "After what I just heard? Sweetie, you couldn't charm me into a date."

_Knew it._

"But I think you do owe us your name. I'm Sam and lover boy over there is my brother, Dean."

She laughed and all her teeth showed in her wide grin, very nice teeth, as Dean noticed. "I'll just call him the failed Casanova. I'm Iris."

"Iris, are you going to tell us what you promised, or what?"

She looked over at Dean. "Ooh, you're cranky now, aren't you, Dean?" She laughed. "Fine, what do you want to know?"

Sam spoke up, saving his brother. "We want to know about the supposedly haunted, uh, house, here in Upton."

"Hmm, what exactly do you want? History of the house or a personal account?"

Sam looked excited. "You have a personal account? I think that Dean and I would absolutely love to hear it."

She looked at Dean and smiled. "Well, Sammy, you want a personal account, you have to earn it. Just like Deannie here did."

Dean started to laugh at his brother's misfortune. _Ah, he really stepped in it. She's got us, hook, line, sinker._

"Yeah, Sammy, sing this song."

She laughed again. "No. Not this one. I have a special one in mind for our little Sammy."

_Sounds fun. And a little creepy. Wonder what she has up her sleeve?_

Sam looked worried. "I have to sing?" He started to dig through his pockets. "How about I just give you a really large tip?"

Dean laughed at his brother's futile attempt. "Sam, I don't think she'll go for it. Although she probably should," He turned to look at her. "Sam is terrible. I can't even let him embarrass himself in the car. Truly, he's horrendous."

She laughed and started to get up. "Then this should truly be fun."

Dean couldn't help but find her mischievous grins irresistible. She had him completely wrapped around her finger. It was almost as if he was transfixed.

Sam leaned in towards Dean over the table and Dean wiped the grin off his face and faced his brother. "Dude, you need to save me! I can't sing worth…, well, I can't sing!"

"And what is it you want me to do? I think I suffered enough before. Take your turn, wuss."

Sam was pleading with his brother now. "Dean, please. Maybe she'll go for a date with you or something as payment."

"Tried it. No go. And she obviously won't take money."

Sam grimaced as he caught a glimpse of Iris behind the counter talking to some of the other waitresses.

"Dean! She looks like she gathering a crowd to watch and listen!" He groaned in his brother's direction and laid his head on the table.

Dean glanced over to where Iris was standing and fiddling with the CD player. He laughed to himself. _Ah, this will be fun. If she had me sing 'I'm A Loser' and she has something special for him, I just can't wait to see what she'll have him sing. Ooh, maybe it'll be Metallica or AC/DC!_

Iris disappeared in the kitchen and returned to the dining area through the swinging doors. She had the coffee pot in her hand.

"Well, Sam, I wanted to pick a song that you would surely know the words to because I want to hear the whole song this time." She looked directly at Dean as she continued to pour the coffee. "Not just the chorus."

Sam looked disdainfully at their evil waitress. "So what have you chosen? How about, 'Don't Worry, Be Happy'? I know that one. Or maybe 'Iko, Iko', I know that one, too."

She looked at him with clear disappointment. "No, no. Those songs are way to short. At least lyric-wise. I've chosen something longer."

Sam groaned loudly and looked at Dean, who was grinning evilly. "This sucks! Remind me never to let you ask the waitress for info first!"

Dean looked triumphant. "As I recall, Sammy, you told me NOT to flirt with the waitress."

Sam had been defeated. He looked like a balloon that had just been deflated.

"So Iris, what is it that you've chosen for my brother to sing? You have us, well, me at least, in suspense."

She giggled. "Well Dean, I think you'll enjoy this one."

The strains of Foreigner's 'I Want To Know What love Is' came through the diner's tiny, barely audible speakers.

**Author's Note: Please review, as I really like new ideas and constructive criticism. No one is perfect, but I do try, lol! I also need to shout out CatBeist's vid (mostly because it gave me the idea)- 'Don't Worry, Be Happy'. Thanks, Beist!**


	3. Chapter 3

**Author's Note: I had a little dilemma with this chapter. Both my betas said something different! Loopy liked the first version of this chapter better and Kat liked this version better. So, I went with this version (the second) to post for now, seeing as the people who are most vocal about what they like and want want me to give them info. But, if you are one of the people who likes and wants the humor, e-mail me or PM me and I'll send you the other version (just make sure I have your e-mail). Depending on how many people like what, we'll see what happens. Standard disclaimers apply. Please enjoy!!**

**Chapter 3**

Dean was laughing so hard he nearly fell off the bench. _How rich! I think I'm in love! This chick has good taste in music AND can outsmart my brother! Oh, I so need to get this one's number…_

Iris waved her hand in the direction towards the counter where the CD player was and the music stopped.

_Ooh. I guess she did recruit her friends for this fun assignment. _Dean laughed silently to himself. _Sam is in it now! It's almost as if she's just been waiting for this type of situation so she could have a little fun with the tourists. I bet they planned this all out…_

"Are you ready, Sam? Or do you need some time to gather your singing voice?"

"No, I think I know the song well enough to sing along softly." _God, I hate this song! What is she? Cut from the same cloth as Dean, I suspect._

She feigned disappointment. "Darn! I guess that means my friends won't get to hear your lovely singing voice."

She looked over towards the CD player and nodded in it's direction and the song started over.

Sam started singing really low so they could barely hear him. He hoped that they would just talk through it. _Please, just tell us what we need to know while I sing. Really! I can listen and sing poorly at the same time…_

She apparently felt Sam's pain and sat back down in the chair. "He looks pale. I hope your brother is okay…"

Dean tried to help out his brother as best he could. "Well, I'm sure Sammy will be fine. Start talking and he'll feel even better."

"Ha ha, I get it. Okay. The Midas Mansion has been through a lot of crazy psychos since Edward Midas built it during the Revolution. He built it and then died four years later when his son came here from Chicago to live in the new house. Story goes that Jonathan Midas killed his father so he could escape his debt, which followed him from Chicago."

"If the family had money, why did he have to kill his father?"

"Well, Edward would not give Jonathan the money to pay off the debt and the mob was pushing harder. Jonathan had apparently expected Daddy dearest to just hand over the money, but Edward had gotten tired of taking care of his lazy and disconcerned son. When Jonathan realized his father planned on leaving him to his own devices- kicking him out of the house, even- he had to get rid of his father."

"Huh. You said that there were other psychos in the house?"

"Yeah. The Midas family as a whole were some real winners…"

"They just liked to kill their own?"

She gave a short laugh. "If only they had…They didn't just kill their own family members. I mean, one of the boys in the family beat the tar out of his wife and killed her and many years later his son found out the truth and took him out. Crazy stuff. None of it ever confirmed. They had the city officials in the palms of their rich little hands. But one of the boys branched out of the family tree and killed a family in a fit of anger over- get this- the cook he fired."

"Uh, elaborate."

"Of course. He fired a cook because she didn't cook his soup just right and she got a job with a rival family. She got that job before he came back to beg her to work for him again, so when he did, he was angry to hear that news and killed the rival family."

"Dude, this family is all sorts of messed up."

She laughed. "Uh, yeah. There are stories about the house that range from destructive behavior to screaming Mimis in the middle of the night."

Dean pursed his lips and sighed inwardly. _Can't this chick just speak normally?_ "Uh, I'm going to need you to clarify that statement."

She smiled at him. "Sure, tough guy. The stories that people tell about the house vary. Some people said they saw stuff fly around the house, while others said they heard screaming and fighting. Most people don't stay any longer than that. They run screaming out."

Dean was starting to understand. "So when did YOU run screaming out?"

She raised her eyebrow and then started to stand up. "Let me go get your breakfast and then I can help you further. By the way, Sammy-Boy, you can stop now. Your brother was right- you ARE a terrible singer!"

She disappeared through the swinging doors of the kitchen and Dean stared at her rear the whole time.

Dean laughed in his brother's direction. "See that, Sam? I'm not the only one who can't stand the sound of your so-called 'singing voice'. She couldn't even let you finish your end of the deal!"

"Oh, shut up! Did you hear that? We may have a real job on our hands."

"A bunch of unconfirmed stories that some teenagers made up to scare each other? That doesn't sound very promising to me. But our lovely waitress on the other hand…"

Iris was headed towards them with their breakfasts.

"I think I may have a shot at getting her number."

Sam scoffed at his brother. "Yeah, when pigs sprout wings and fly in a frost-bitten Hell."

Dean frowned at his brother as Iris reached the table and set down their meals.

"Anything else you can tell us about the house?" Sam really thought they were onto something.

She looked puzzled. "Why are you so concerned with this house? I'm sure you've seen a billion run-down houses in your lives."

Sam was trying to think quick, without thinking that his brother already gave her an excuse. Luckily for him, Dean was quicker to the punch.

"I told you, we want to see interesting things everywhere we go."

"Yeah, I heard what you told me, but it doesn't make sense for you to collect stories of haunted mansions in every town and then move on. No postcards, no writing it down to remember what the story was. Besides, I'm sure they all run together after a while. Every story is basically the same."

Dean thought quickly. "Well, that house just so happens to be the most interesting thing in this town."

She laughed. "Yeah, I grew up here, I know it's a pretty boring town."

"Well then, you can see our dilemma. It's either this town escapes our memory or we find something interesting. Speak of interesting, you fascinate me."

"Oh really?"

"Yes. Would you like to bewitch me, too?"

Sam kicked him under the table and gave him the dirtiest look he could muster.

She just laughed at him. "Eat your breakfast, then we'll see." Then she turned and walked back to the kitchen.

**Author's Note: Please review!! I need to know what you think so I can write something you might like! As you can see, I do take everything into consideration. And if you would like to read the other version (with more humor, Loopy says), make sure you PM or e-mail me with your e-mail address and tell me so. Thanks!!**


	4. Chapter 4

**Author's Note: Took me a while to get something that would look okay and wouldn't bore you, but I finally got it! Next chapter should be quicker in coming and will be longer (so wait for it, Beist- longer chapter to come!). Thanks to my great betas- they do a lot of work to help me and I want them to know I appreciate it greatly! Standard disclaimers apply, as always.**

**Chapter 4**

Dean was looking around the diner for his pretty friend as Sam finished his breakfast and pushed it to the side.

"Dean! Would you stop that! You look like some sort of stalker or something. And the last thing we need is the cops to show up."

"Sam, she is the only thing in this town worth checking out. Just let me have a little fun for once. You may like being celibate, but I would like a little action every now and then. Especially if I have to check out some silly high school ghost stories in a run-down old mansion in the middle of nowhere! She looks like the most interesting thing we'll find here."

"Dean, would you PLEASE use your upstairs brain for a little while and try to focus? I really think there's something here."

_This is insane. I'll bet people just make stuff up in this little backwoods town. Great. Now the dueling banjoes are in my head…_

Dean sighed loudly. "Fine. We'll check out this…house. But I get to talk to Iris for more information." Dean smiled broadly.

Sam sighed in resignment. "I don't think we should pump her for too much information. She's already suspicious. I will admit she's pretty knowledgeable, though."

Dean looked his brother square in the eye. "She said she had more to tell us, I say we go with that. She's a pretty willing candidate. And I wouldn't mind getting more time with her anyway…"

Sam rolled his eyes. "Let's get the bill and then approach the situation."

Dean looked disappointed. "Fine. We'll do it your way."

"Iris, could you please bring us the bill?"

"Oh, don't worry about it. I got it."

The brothers looked at each other in confusion. "Uh, what do you mean, 'you got it'?"

"Well, I figured that since I tortured you, I would give you guys a free meal."

Dean raised his eyebrows. "You're paying for our meal?"

"No. It's on the house. My Dad owns the diner, so I can comp certain things. And leave early. So did you guys need anything else before we go?"

Dean smiled and Sam looked worried. "WE?"

She laughed. "Yeah, you wanna get into the Midas Mansion, you'll need me."

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Iris was looking out the window from the backseat of the Impala. Dean, who was driving, kept checking his rear-view mirror.

"So Iris, why are we going in this direction? I thought the Midas Mansion was off of River Lane, which is back that way."

"Yeah, but I want to do this the semi-legal way. I plan to ask the people who technically own it."

Sam spoke up. "Wait, the Midas' nowadays aren't as crazy as their past relatives? Maybe it was the house itself that made them crazy."

"Nah, the Midas family killed themselves off. The house used to be beautiful but now it's just creepy and people want to tear it down. The Leighton's own the house now, but I think that they just bought it from the bank for the good hunting land."

"Did they bury their own on the grounds, or does the family have a plot somewhere?"

"I believe that their plot is on their land. But they never hid their dead. They always had public funerals and whatnot. Prominent figures that they were."

"Do you believe the stories?"

"Well…the house always creeped me out. I was in there once and things got even worse."

"What'd you see?"

"I think it would be better if I brought you there and was able to point things out."

Dean finally found his tongue. "Your saying that you saw something?"

"Heard. I heard more than I saw. Although there was plenty to, uh, see? Not sure that's the right word. Oh, Dean, this is the house. Stop here, I'll go in and talk to him and come back out."

"Does that mean your friend is coming with us?"

"No. I just need him to relinquish the keys." She jumped out of the Impala and jogged up the walkway to the front door of the beautiful three story home.

The house was huge. It spread out along the property like a virus. Perfectly manicured lawn and shrubs and even an in-ground pool in the back.

Dean motioned towards the house. "Betcha they're rich."

Sam looked in Dean's direction and rolled his eyes. "I wonder what she meant by those remarks."

Dean looked at his brother and smiled mischievously. "I think she likes me and just wants me around as long as she can."

Sam gave Dean a look and shook his head in amazement. "Uh, then why would she bring me along, too? I mean, if your theory was correct, wouldn't she want to be alone with you?"

Dean looked away and waved his hand at his brother. "She only brought you because you weren't gonna leave me. She had no choice."

"Uh, riiiight…Back on topic- what do you really think, Dean? Do we have something or not?"

Dean cocked his head to the side to think. _What DO I think? IS there something in that house? I kind of hope not, I want the vacation. …Although…a haunted house will keep us here longer. And Sammy's all about the "move-on- to-the-next-possible-hunt-as-fast-as-we-can-so-we-aren't-in-one-town-too-long." I'll tell him it's worth checking out, just so we can stay here._

Dean shrugged. "I guess it couldn't hurt to take a look. And you said Dad had it in his journal…"

Sam smiled. "Great!" He turned to look back at the monstrous home. "Oh, here she comes."

Dean looked confused. "That was quick. The guy just handed over his keys to a house within minutes? Dude, she's hot, but I wouldn't give her the Impala keys without a fight."

Sam shrugged. "Maybe he doesn't care about the house. You heard her. Everyone wants the house torn down and they only bought it for the land."

Dean wasn't convinced. "Eh, maybe."

Iris opened the back door and hopped in the backseat. Lifting her right hand, she revealed the keys. "Well, let's get headed to the house. It's creepy during the day, but downright frightening at night."

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Dean pulled up to an overgrown piece of land. There was a gate across what must have been a driveway at one time and a matching old fence around the property that looked like it was held up by all the vegetation clinging to it.

What must have been a beautiful landscape was now almost a forest. The brothers couldn't even see the mansion through all the weeds and shrubs. The trees that had since grown up, now covered the house from view from the road.

Dean stopped in front of the gate. "He needed to lock this place up to keep people out? It looks to me like the house itself is trying to keep people away."

Iris moved to get out to open the gates. "Or whoever is in there."

Sam looked at Dean. "Is it just me or is she starting to act a little different?"

"Yeah, she seems more serious."

"You think it was a good idea to let her come with us?"

"I don't think we had a choice, Sam."

Iris pulled the gates open and waved them in. She followed the car a little ways down the driveway until Dean stopped the car to the side of the mansion.

The boys hopped out of the Impala and followed Iris onto the porch.

The huge home was overgrown with moss and weeds were popping up through the planks on the porch. The windows were cracked in places and all of them were dirty. They couldn't see through the windows because it was so dark inside.

Dean decided to be up front with her and ask her what he was thinking. "So Iris, you seem to be hinting to us that there is something in this house. Is it haunted?"

She looked at him as she pushed the door open. "I guess you'll just have to see."

**Author's Note: Please review!! I try to accomodate what everyone wants, so leave me a note if you have suggestions.**


	5. Chapter 5

**Author's Note: Only had one beta for this one, but that's okay, I hope Loopy's computer gets working soon. Anyway, there is at least one section here that may confuse you. I have both Sam and Dean thoughts in here so keep your eyes peeled and try to keep them straight. More action in this one and it's a bit longer than the others. Thanks for making sure it sounds okay, Kat. Disclaimers have already been established.**

**Chapter 5**

As they entered the house Dean noticed that all the furniture was still there. The rugs in the front entrance were dusty from sitting and being closed up in the house and the house itself smelled musty.

Sam started to cough and choke as he entered the decrepit home. He waved his hands in front of his face. "God, has anyone been in here in years?"

Iris looked serious but seemed to know her way around. "High school kids who thought it would be the perfect place for a party or just to check out."

Dean looked up the stairs. "Geez, these people had money. Look, someone rolled out the red carpet for us."

"It's a dark color purple. The color of royalty."

Dean made moves to go upstairs but Iris quickly stopped him.

"I don't think we should split up. You want my account, then we need to start in the living room."

Dean looked at her slightly suspiciously and then quickly returned to being somewhat playful and motioned with both arms. "Lead the way."

She walked several yards down the hallway and turned into a huge room that was stuck in the old days. Everything in the room was an antique from the Tiffany lamps to the couch and tables. The doors to the room were hidden in the walls and slid out for privacy. There was a fireplace on the far side wall with ashes still in it from the last fire.

Sam was the first to speak. "Was this place abandoned in the fifties? Because it certainly looks like the time period that this house is stuck in."

"The last of the Midas clan died in 1966. The house has been pretty much abandoned since then. But the family was completely die-hard traditional conservatists down to the last one."

"Except they're pretty liberal when they interpret the law. 'Cause killing people- even their own family- is A-okay with them." Dean was starting to get into case-mode. "Something's really bothering me, though."

Sam was curious. "What?"

"There were stories about things moving? Everything's still here. Weird for several reasons. One: Iris already said that kids come in here to have parties and explore, why didn't they steal stuff? It looks like these people could have run off yesterday if there wasn't so much dust. And two: Everything looks like it's even in it's own spot. If something flew across the room, it would be broken or have some sort of evidence on the floor. Nothing."

"That's true. Some stuff should be out of place or missing."

Iris spoke up, but her eyes were wide and she was staring across the room, not looking at either brother. "No. That lamp on the side table flew into that wall over there." She motioned to a Tiffany lamp on a table to the right of their position and then pointed to the wall opposite the lamp.

"Iris, we need you to start from the beginning."

She looked at Sam calmly and then sighed loudly. "Okay. In our Senior year Todd Leighton and a group of us decided we would have a party. You know, a big raucous party in the middle of nowhere, do what you want, kind of shin-dig. He suggested the mansion. We'd all heard the stories, but the house had been locked up and gated, so no one could even get in. But Todd got the keys and we all thought it sounded like a blast. Perfect place, you know? Check it out and see what all the fuss was about. Well, I think we were the ones who stayed in the house the longest in a long time- and that ain't sayin' much."

"What happened? What did you see?"

She was looking at the floor and rubbed her face. "It was so dark and we had our flashlights. We didn't even make it anywhere but this room. We didn't need to. This room was enough. We all kind of settled in and Sarah and I were looking at all the old stuff while most everyone else was settling in on the floor in a circle. I remember looking at the lamp." She motioned to the one to their right. "Then she and I sat down on the floor, too. We were there for about fifteen minutes- enough for us to get comfortable and relax. And then we heard it."

"What? What did you hear?"

"Footsteps. There were creeks in the ceiling like someone was walking around upstairs. We started getting weirded out but we stuck it out. It's an old house, it makes noise. After about five minutes of continuous creaking, like someone was pacing upstairs, we heard someone talking. We all kept quiet to make sure we weren't hearing things, and sure enough, someone was talking to someone else. Angrily. It got louder. The man seemed to be enraged. Next thing we know, the lamp I was inspecting maybe half an hour before, goes flying across the room and smashes against the wall."

Dean was still stuck on the fact that the lamp was intact. "Iris, the lamp seems to be in perfect condition. It's sitting on the table over there and it looks like it hasn't moved in a VERY long time."

She looked at him angrily. "I know what I saw. And I didn't see it alone. Besides, you're the ones who wanted to come here and hear the story. If you don't believe it, fine. Go."

She looked like she was daring him to leave. Sam tried to break the tension. "What happened next?"

She looked at Sam and sized him up a moment. She figured he was okay. "We stared at each other, scared out of our minds. Then the doors to the room, they started to slam shut and then open and our flashlights went haywire, too. All the while this guy is screaming at someone upstairs. We all jumped up and huddled together, not knowing what was going on or what to do. Then, we hear the guy at the top of the stairs and then it sounded like something tumbled down the stairs. We were SO scared. All the lights in this room started to turn on and off like someone kept hitting the switch. But no one was anywhere near it and Todd said that there was no juice in the house so the electric wouldn't work."

Sam turned and looked at Dean. _The flashlights and the house lights are typical of spirits and hauntings. She's describing an angry spirit. A pretty powerful one with something to say, I might add. I think we do have something here. The look on Dean's face says he's unconvinced. Probably because of that stupid lamp. She was probably mistaken about which lamp, that's all. We need to come back later and check out the house alone._

Dean looked unsure. _Something here doesn't add up. The lamp is bothering me. And Iris' mood swings are kinda odd, too. One minute the chick is fun and playful, completely confident and ready to come here and talk to us. The next minute she's serious, stoic, and just all-around odd. Something's up, here. That lamp, it's all in one piece. There's no evidence of the lamp hitting the wall at all. No dents in the wall, no smash marks of any type. Yeah, the house would creep me out if I wasn't in this line of work and I might even be inclined to believe her story if I was some naïve punk looking for a fun story. Maybe she's got her friends here and the show at the diner and the stall to that guy's house was just that- a stall. I'll bet she has friends here and plans to prank us. She was just giving them time to get here and set up. And Sam bought it. Alright, Iris. If that's how you want to play, I'll play along. Then I'll have good stuff to tease Sammy with for a while._

Dean seemed to be genuinely interested now. "Then what happened? You guys run out of the Funhouse Of Horrors here? Scream your fool heads off?"

She looked at Dean unconvinced of his act. "No, we were too stunned, shocked, and all-around scared shitless to scream. We stayed huddled together in the middle of the room."

Sam wanted to get the story back on track. "So what happened if you guys didn't leave yet?"

"This Funhouse, as you called it, started getting more scary. The guy was still screaming upstairs, but now we could faintly hear someone in the hallway pleading softly with him. Sounded like she was pleading for her life. Apparently this only made our freak angrier and he screamed louder down the stairs. We heard all sorts of things crashing around upstairs. Like things were being thrown around at the walls and down the stairs. The angrier he got, the more we heard. The house started to shake and rattle and all of the sudden the couch behind us just flipped itself over violently. That was when most of our little group went running for the hills. They ran out in a flash. It was just Todd, Sarah, and I left."

"Wait, wait, wait, wait, wait. You guys were scared so you stayed in the house? That doesn't make any sense. All your friends go running out and you guys stayed?"

"Sarah and I just stood there, scared. And Todd, he stayed I think cause we stayed. After all, it was his idea and his family's property."

Dean turned around and looked around the room. Everything was in order. He looked out the window. _Getting dark. And we all know when the freaks come out to play…if there are any. And if not, this is when they'd start the fun._

Sam must have read his mind because he too turned around and looked out the window. "It's getting dark outside. Uh, Iris, we'll give you a ride home, okay?"

She looked a little worried. "You guys don't plan on coming back, do you?"

"Why? We can't confirm what you said?" Dean was trying to get her to admit the story was a farce.

"No. Be my guest. Just be careful."

Sam glared at Dean. "No, we aren't coming back here. This was enough."

"But Sam, we never got to hear the rest of the story. You guys stayed, right? I don't think the house just kept quiet when the others left. What happened?"

Iris stared straight ahead. "Uh-oh."

"Uh-oh what?"

"He's here."

"Who's here, Iris? Leighton?" Sam looked out the window but failed to see anything abnormal outside.

"No. Terrence Midas."

The next thing the boys knew, the lights in the room were flickering and so were their flashlights. The couch behind them started to rattle around on the floor and they heard light creaking noises on the second floor like someone was pacing.

Dean looked at Iris to gauge her reaction. She seemed nervous but calm.

_Enough's enough. This is crazy for a prank to scare tourists. A lot of trouble, too._ "Iris?"

Both Sam and Iris looked at Dean. Sam was astonished that Dean had such an odd tone in his voice. _That's not his normal tone when shit hits the fan. Tell me he isn't gonna try and hit on her now. Groan. Damn him! What is wrong with him? He NEVER acts like that when stuff is going down. No, he gets protective in a "why-are-you-in-this-situation-anyway" manner. And he would never purposely put a woman in harm's way. He clearly was trying to keep us in the house. All together. What is he THINKING?_

She was wide-eyed. "What? Can't this wait?"

He continued like nothing was happening around them. "I was thinking. Why is it that you agreed to come with us? You were pretty willing and all sorts of excited. Why?"

She raised an eyebrow. "What are you getting at?"

"Yeah, Dean, this is NOT the time. Do you not hear the guy pacing upstairs?" Sam pointed to the ceiling.

"I hear it, Sam. But it's been bothering me for a while. You said this house scared the shit outta you. Why the hell would you come back? No one in their right mind would ever come back into a place after what you described. Not for any amount of money or even under penalty of death. We should have had to force the information from you and you would have never been that calm while describing what happened. Besides the fact you wouldn't have come back no matter what. You certainly would never have offered to bring us here."

Iris straightened her back and became very serious-looking. She raised an eyebrow and suddenly the lights just stayed on. The couch stopped rattling and everything went dead quiet.

"Because, Dean, I don't care much about the house. I'm more concerned with you."

**Author's Note: Reviews are extremely welcomed and appreciated, so please leave some! I love to hear what you have to say.**


	6. Chapter 6

**Author's Note: Sorry it took me so long. Been trying to conserve my eyes a little. But it's finally done! Obviously great thanks need to go to my betas for sticking with me and giving suggestions or otherwise telling me politely that stuff needs to be changed. Thanks guys! Don't own, yada, yada, you know the rest.**

**Chapter 6**

Sam was wide-eyed. "What? What are you talking about?"

Dean narrowed his eyes at Iris, now feeling angry that she played them both. "Concerned with me? What the hell are you? Real cute how you coaxed us all the way the hell out here, to the middle of freakin' nowhere. Wanna tell me what's going on? And why you brought us-"

She interrupted him with a calm anger. "Shut up. You're the ones who have explaining to do."

Sam was confused. "Wait. What? Us? What do you think we need to explain?"

"You. You aren't who or what you claim to be. You're hunters."

Dean furrowed his brow. "What? How do you know that?"

She looked slightly worried but very well composed. "Doesn't matter. Why are you here?"

Sam tried to salvage the story. "We told you. We're here on a road trip and we want-"

She started to look less angry. Like something was dawning on her. "Wait. You aren't here for me. You're actually here for the house."

Dean just had to make a comment. "Yeah. But now we're starting to realize what the real story here is."

She looked relieved. "You got me wrong and apparently I got you wrong, too."

"I would say so. So, answer the question. What the hell are you?"

"I'm…well…special."

Sam was excited. _She might be one of us! But she could already have switched sides…we better be careful._ "Iris, HOW exactly are you special? What can you do?"

"I'm telepathic. And telekinetic. AND an open gateway for all sorts of dead and returned spirits."

Sam's eyes widened. "Iris, do you realize how special you are?"

She looked at him with annoyance. "No, Sam. Do tell. I thought everyone talked to dead people. Haley Joel made me believe I wasn't alone."

Dean almost laughed. "Iris, why did you bring us here if you thought we were hunting you? You're all alone with us. That's two on one if we wanted you dead."

"I don't know. I thought if you were busy with the Midas clan you would leave me alone or forget about me. Maybe…"

"Wait. The Midas Mansion- this house- really IS haunted? I thought you made that all up."

"No. That all really happened. And I know what you're thinking. That lamp REALLY did hit the wall. It wasn't me. I don't use my…special skills…on a daily basis. Especially to scare people. That's how you get caught."

It dawned on Sam. "You're scared of us. You knew who we were from the start and thought we were here for you."

She blushed a little and looked slightly sheepish. "Well…yeah."

Dean gave her his suave act again. "I scared you? ME? Now, do I look scary to you?"

She grinned at him. "Damn straight, Playboy."

He let it go. "Well, maybe a little."

"It gives you that bad-boy charm?"

He grinned. "Sure does."

_God. I feel like the camera man in a really cheap porn. Why is it that he starts getting all cozy again real quick when he finds out she's…wait. She still hasn't proven anything! She could still be after us! She could be trying to gain our trust again so that she can get us! What is it about beautiful women that Dean finds so trusting? He totally lets his guard down around them!_

"Ahem."

Both Dean and Iris looked over at Sam like he just randomly appeared.

"I hate to seem like a party crasher-"

"No Sam. You could NEVER be a party crasher. You're too dull."

Iris giggled.

_Still dressed to impress, I see… _ "Whatever. I just need to be sure that you aren't still trying to gain our trust in an effort to-"

"Take you out?" She suggested it with such innocence.

"Uh, yeah."

She raised her hand. "Scout's honor."

Dean knew Sam was right. "I've never been a Boy Scout and neither has Sam. And I'm gonna take a shot in the dark here, but I'm guessing you never were, either. Being female and all."

"No. I wasn't even in Girl Scouts. But my word is still true. Probably more true than those who took the oath."

The lights in the room started to flicker. This time, Iris looked scared.

"That's not me, guys. I swear."

Sam walked towards her. "I believe you."

"You need to tell us what happened after everyone else left. I mean, you said that you were telling us the truth."

"Uh, yeah. They ran out and the lights all stayed on. Next thing we knew, there was screaming. Not that guy who was yelling. A woman. It was such a bloodcurdling scream and she was crying and pleading and then she'd scream again. It was terrible. It was like a cycle. She'd scream and then she'd cry and plead, and then she'd scream again."

"Earlier you mentioned Terrence Midas. Which one was he? Or were you making that up, too?"

"No. Terrence Midas was the one who-"

They started to hear creaking noises upstairs.

Iris looked slightly panicked. "Uh, guys?"

"What is it, Iris?"

"Uh, you DO know how to get us out of here safely, right?"

Dean walked over and tried to reassure her. "Yeah, we're professionals. We can get rid of it. It might cost you, though." He winked at her.

"Dean! Stop! She's scared, now is not the time!"

"No, it's okay. I could use a little humor now." She smiled weakly.

Sam put his hand on her shoulder. "We need to know everything so we can figure out how to get rid of him."

She looked up at Sam. "Sweetie, I don't care whether you get rid of the crazy clan or not. I just worry that he's gonna get rid of us before we can get out!"

Dean was looking at the ceiling where the lights were flickering and the floor boards were creaking. "You think he's that dangerous?"

"Well, no offense, but you aren't exactly well prepared for battle right now, Casanova."

Sam's eyes got wide. "Dean, she's right! All our gear is in the car!"

Dean made a face of nonchalance. "Guess we'll need to improvise."

"Guys."

Dean looked over at her. "Yeah?" 

"Uh, do you hear that?"

All three of them looked up at the ceiling and listened.

"Okay. Apparently he's starting to talk now."

"Iris, what came next again?" Sam needed a timeline of events.

"Uh, it'll get louder. Angrier." She looked over at the lamp. "And then…"

"Okay. So stuff's gonna fly in a couple of minutes. We'll need to duck REALLY well."

"Dean! Not a time for joking! This guy sounds pretty angry and reasonably dangerous."

"Well then I guess she needs to speak quick so we can find out how dangerous this spirit is, exactly."

"Right, right. I'll talk fast. After about five minutes of her screaming Bloody Mary," both Winchesters winced, "we heard one final scream and then we heard him yelling at someone else. All sorts of stuff starting happening in this house of horrors. A child was crying somewhere, pots and pans were being smashed around in the kitchen, we heard glass shatter, clocks gonging, what sounded like a fist fight going on at the top of the stairs. It was like the house came alive suddenly. But then we heard one noise rise above all the clatter. It was an odd noise. Like a hammer pounding on the house somewhere. And everything quieted down."

"Wait. The hammer signaled silence for everything else?"

"That's what it seemed like."

Both brothers looked at each other. Dean was the first to look at Iris and speak. "So, what you're saying is that somehow this hammer controls the order in this house. Like a judge's gavel, or something?"

She looked at the floor out in the hallway and nodded lightly. "Yeah. I guess so, lover-boy."

_She just can't resist making a remark about me, huh? I am SO teaching her a lesson. Smirk. Oh yeah…_

"Okay, so it sounds to me like we need to find this hammer."

"Uh, we didn't stay after that."

Both men looked at her. "What do you mean? There's more to this story?"

"I don't really know. All I know is that that sound was so loud and then everything got deathly quiet and one of the spirits told me to leave. But he didn't sound angry or anything. He sounded protective. Like we should leave before we get hurt or things get worse. Could we please not be anywhere on this property when that happens? Especially in the dark?"

"Iris, you look seriously scared."

"Yeah, well, I certainly think I have right to be."

"Okay, then let's find that hammer, shall we?"

"NO!! If it isn't in this room, then we aren't finding it. Period."

Dean looked at her questioningly. "Look, you'll be with us. We're pros, nothing will happen."

"It's not you I don't trust." She looked down at the floor. "It's me."

**Author's Note: Please review! I love sugestions and overall reactions (Beist, you crack me up!) so please leave some love. Or whatever. Thanks!**


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